What is the VIP star under your name about?

... and how do I become a VIP?
At the moment there are two types of members that have a star beneath their username on the Groups:
1. Founding members
2. Tom
At the moment, you can't gain the status. A VIP member is one who paid a subscription to Tom in December of 2006 for a 2 year "founding member" status on the site. Currently the only special benefit of the status is having no advertising on any page, and feature suggestions being taken into consideration with "special attention".
At the moment there are two types of members that have a star beneath their username on the Groups:
1. Founding members
2. Tom
At the moment, you can't gain the status. A VIP member is one who paid a subscription to Tom in December of 2006 for a 2 year "founding member" status on the site. Currently the only special benefit of the status is having no advertising on any page, and feature suggestions being taken into consideration with "special attention".